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Plenary, 02 Dec 2009

02 Dec 2009 · S3 · Plenary

Item of business

Violence Against Women

Somerville, Shirley-Anne SNP Lothians Watch on SPTV

There is not necessarily one simple solution. The lessons that I said need to be learned apply to every aspect of single outcome agreements, especially in relation to domestic violence.

With that caveat, the motion is welcome. It is vital that we do not lose sight of the good work that is going on in local authorities and other agencies throughout Scotland.

I take encouragement from the success of the Caledonian system, which was piloted in Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders. It provides services to women and children who have been affected by domestic violence and encompasses a two-year programme of intervention to target the perpetrators. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has committed nearly £2.5 million to fund the roll-out of the scheme across the country, as that type of prevention work is vital. Figures show that more than 60 per cent of victims have previously suffered from abuse, so we must not only punish offenders for their past behaviour but do all that we can to prevent future attacks, for example by challenging and changing abusive behaviour wherever possible.

I am also pleased that ministers, in partnership with COSLA, have launched the "national domestic abuse delivery plan for children and young people", which was mentioned earlier by the minister. On the vast majority of occasions, the child is in the same or the next room while their mother is being attacked, and half of the residents in women's refuges are children—not exactly an ideal set-up in which to bring up a family. It is perhaps no surprise therefore that a significant proportion of boys and girls think that using violence in an intimate relationship is acceptable in certain circumstances. It does not make them more violent, as some members seem to suggest, but it makes them more likely to be victims in future.

The impact on both mother and child was brought home to me recently at a party that was organised by Shakti Women's Aid in Edinburgh. By the time I arrived with some of the staff, the room was already full of women and children enjoying a fantastic day. Given the dancing and hilarity among the women, and the enthusiastic use of the bouncy castle by the children, it was difficult to comprehend that everyone in that room was there because they had been helped by the organisation to break away from violent partners, husbands or other members of their extended family. That day was a million miles away from the horror that they had lived through for too long.

One of the women I spoke to told me how she had recently arrived in Edinburgh from London after leaving her abusive partner. She felt that she was truly starting a new life—being reborn, as she put it—after the help that she received from Shakti. She and everyone else present were a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the staff not only of that organisation but of the many others working in the sector throughout the country. It is literally a life-saving service in many circumstances.

We as a society are still failing one group of women in particular—those who have no recourse to public funds. There is something fundamentally wrong when charities such as Shakti are unable to offer refuge places to women and children who are fleeing domestic abuse because they do not tick the right box according to the immigration system and are therefore not entitled to financial assistance. Charities do what they can to help, but they are placed in an impossible situation. Often women are forced to remain in an abusive relationship because they have nowhere else to go and no family or friends to turn to. I understand that the Home Office has announced a pilot project on the matter. I hope that it will be a first step to resolving that discrimination once and for all.

Although much has been done to tackle domestic abuse under previous Administrations and this Government, much more remains to be done. Crucial to the monitoring of progress and accountability of all bodies involved in the battle against domestic abuse will be better information. That said, we are moving towards a situation in which we have the right mix of national leadership and local implementation. That implementation is vital because behind every statistic is an individual who is isolated, alone and abused. We should never lose sight of that abuse nor of our resolve to end domestic violence once and for all.

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Plenary, 02 Dec 2009

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